Multiplex terminal spreader



HTA; BITHER MULTIPLEX TERMINAL SPREADER Jan, 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1954 INVENTOR.

HAROLD A. EITHER BY M M ATTORNEYS "H. 'A. BITHER MULTIPLEX TERMINAL SPREADER Jam. 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deg. 15. 1954 INVENTOR. HAROLD A. BITHER ATTORNEYS MULTIPLEX TERMINAL SPREADER Harold A. Bither, Portland, Oreg. Application December 13, 1954, Serial No. 474,722

3 Claims. (Cl. 174-43) This invention relates to a terminal spreader for holding electric conductors in spaced relation and for presenting a portion of said conductors in a position to facilitate connection to branch circuits.

Many transformer secondary circuits, or like supply circuits for furnishing electrical energy to consumers,

comprise a multiple conductor assembly whereby two or more conductors are supported in close proximity on a steel messenger cable secured to upright poles. Branch circuits, such as service circuits for dwellings, are presently connected into the transformer secondary circuit adjacent the supporting poles, and, where dwellings are closely spaced, a plurality of service connections, each generally comprising three conductors, must be made at one pole. This manner of connecting service conductors into the transformer secondary circuit is not satisfactory for the reason that the plurality of service conductors which converge at the pole make it difficult for linemen to work on the pole. The joints are generally taped and frequent faults develop in the service circuit. A further disadvantage of the connections presently made is that considerable time is consumed in making them, and with a plurality of conductors and connections in the same vicinity on the pole the linemen are subjected to the risk of touching or short-circuiting bare wires. The precautions taken to reduce such risks hamper work on the poles among the energized conductors.

Objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide an article of manufacture which is engageable with a multiple conductor assembly and which has means for spreading individual conductors of said assembly and holding them in a position for facilitating connection with branch circuit conductors; to provide a device which is engageable with a multiple conductor assembly and located thereon at points intermediate the supporting poles for providing connections for branch circuit conductors at random points; to provide means for connecting branch conductors into a supply circuit with a minimum of risk to the linemen'and in a shorter time than by conventional practice; to provide a device having structure which facilitates connection at said device of a plurality of sets of branch conductors with a supply circuit, and which has means to relieve the service connections of the weight of the suspended service conductors; and to provide a device for connecting branch conductors into a supply circuit which is durable in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

The above enumerated objects are accomplished by an inexpensive article of manufacture which is molded or otherwise formed from an insulating material and which comprises a terminal spreader having two main parts adapted to be clamped together into engagement with a multiple conductor assembly comprising line conductors, a neutral conductor and supporting wires comprising a steel messenger cable and a hanger or banding wire. The two parts of the spreader have opposed recesses which form grooves when the spreader is assembled for receiving and holding the line conductors in spaced relation from each other and from the neutral conductor and tates Patent ice 2 the messenger cable and hanger wire. The spreader is supported on the messenger cable at predetermined locations, as desired, and has means for presenting the line conductors in a position for convenient connection to branch conductors.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention. his to be understood, however, that the invention may take other forms and that all such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims which will occur to persons skilled in the art are included in the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present spreader in disassembled relation;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a pole line on a residential street showing service connections to a transformer secondary circuit comprising a multiple conductor assembly;

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the present spreader mounted on a multiple conductor assembly, and showing in detail the method of connecting branch conductors thereto;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the present terminal spreader is designated generally by the numeral 10, and referring specifically to Figure 3, the spreader is adapted for use on a multiple conductor assembly, designated by the numeral 12. Conductor assembly 12 comprises a pair of insulated line conductors 13, a bare neutral conductor 14, a messenger cable 15, and a hanger wire 16. Messenger cable 15 is secured to upright poles 17, Figure 2, to support the suspended weight of the conductor assembly, and the hanger wire 16 is spirally wound around the conductor assembly for holding the individual conductors in close proximity with the messenger cable.

The spreader 10 comprises two mating halves 20 and 21, Figure 1, molded from a suitable insulating material of durable quality, such as plastic, porcelain, or wood. The parts 20 and 21 are I-shaped in form, having an elongated body portion 24 with lateral projecting arms 25 on each end. Each of the body portions 24 is provided with a plurality of holes 28 disposed in identical positions as the holes in the opposite body portion. Half of these holes are provided with dowel pins 29 for engagement with the holes in the opposite mating half to prevent relative sliding movement of the two parts. In a molded article the dowel pins 29 may be integral with the main body portion with two pins and two holes in each mating half 20 and 21 and the two mating halves 20 and 21 being identical and cast in the same mold.

The assembled device has a central longitudinal bore 30, Figures 4 and 5, formed by providing the body portions 24 of mating halves 20 and 21 with longitudinal semicircular grooves or channels 31, and also has outward facing side grooves 34 parallel with bore 30 formed by recessed portions 35 in the facing sides of arms 25. The bottoms of grooves 34 are spaced outwardly from the side surfaces of the elongated body portions 24. Arms 25 have transverse slots 37, Figure 1, and the two parts 20 and 21 are adapted to be held together by spring clips 38 engageable in slots 37 which are deeper than grooves 34. Clips 38 have end cross bars 40 for engagement with the exterior surface of thearms 25 at right angles to the slots 37.

To install the present device on a multiple conductor assembly of the type shown in Figure 3, the hanger Wire 16 is first cut whereby the conductors can be spread apart slightly. The cut ends of the hanger wire 16 are secured to the messenger cable by clamps 42 for preventing the wire 16 from loosening. As an alternative method of preventing the cut hanger wire 16 from working loose after it is out, each of the ends thereof may be provided with a loop and another piece of wire connected between the looped ends. The mating halves 2t) and 21 of the spreader are clamped on the 'top and bottom of the conductor assembly and held thereon by means of the spring clips 38. The two insulated line conductors 13 are received in the grooves 34 on opposite sides of the insulating body. The neutral conductor 14 and the messenger cable 15 are received in the central opening 3% With the spreader mounted in position on the conductor assembly as seen in Figure 3, theline conductors 13 are held in spaced relation to each other in the immediate area of the spreader and are also held in spaced relation to the neutral conductor and messenger cable at a slight distance from the sides of body portions 2%.

The next step is to remove the insulation from the portions of the line conductors 13 which are disposed in the longitudinal unobstructed area between the arms and, due to the fact that the bare portions of the line conductors are held in spaced relation relative to each other and out of contact with other conductors or supporting means, such operation thereon is accomplished with safety and facility. No temporary spreaders or insulating sheets for covering the wires are necessary during the installation and connection of the branch con ductors.

The service conductors for the average dwelling cornprise a three-wire circuit having two insulated conductors 43 and a bare neutral conductor 44, Figure 3. To connect the service conductors into the secondary transformer circuit by means of the present spreader, one of the insulated conductors 43 is connected to the bare portion of one line conductor 13 and the other insulated service cond ctor is connected to the opposite line conductor on the other side of the spreader. These connections are made by clamps 45 or other conventional means.

Service neutral 44' is connected to the neutral conductor 14 by suitable means such as clamp 4-6. To relieve the clamp connections at the spreader of the weight of the suspended service conductors, a sling 48 is utilized and comprises a clamp 5% secured to the service neutral 44 a short distance from the spreader. Clamp 56 has bifurcated arms 51 which are adapted to receive and securely hold the ends of a flexible braided tension cable 52. Cable is looped around or otherwise attached to messenger cable 15, and is of shorter length than the portion of neutral conductor 44 projecting from clamp 5t) so that no lateral forces are applied to the clamp 46 as well as to the clamps 4-5. The three service conductors are twisted together whereby the neutral conductor can grip the other two conductors and support the entire weight by means of flexible cable 52 which is not dama ed by movement of the conductors in the wind.

The present spreader can be mounted on a multiple conductor assembly adjacent a supporting pole or at any point intermediate the pole, as seen in Figure 2. Service connections made adjacent the pole are preferably spaced about three feet therefrom so that the sewice conductors will not be in the way of a lineman when he works on the pole. Considerable saving is accomplished by utilizing the present spreader, in that the service wires span the shortest distance between the pole line and the connection at a dwelling, 53, Figure 2. In addition, the present device speeds up connections into the transformer secondary circuit, as it obviates the necessity of using safeJy devices and material which must be initially installed and which must be removed after connection has been made. Furthermore, if one set of service conductors has been connected by means of the present spreader, subsequent connections are even more readily accomplished at the same point. The present device remains in place permanently, and, at the same time, prevents short circuit of the conductors. Taped connections are obviated to avoid faults in the connection.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A terminal spreader for use in connecting branch wires to a plurality of continuous power supply conduitors suspended in a compact group with a supporting me senger cable comprising a pair of elongated mating bod members, longitudinal confronting grooves in the matin sides of said body members to receive said messenger cable longitudinally therethrough for supporting the spreader, means to clamp said body members together about a messenger cable, lateral arms on both ends of said body members projecting outwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof, and outward facing grooves in the outer ends of said arms parallel with said messenger cable grooves for holding a pair of said continuous condnctors in spaced relation to said body members in the interval between said arms for connection of said branch wires.

2. A terminal spreader for use in connecting branch wires to a plurality of continuous power supply conductors suspended in a compact group with a supporting messenger cable comprising an elongated insulator body having a longitudinal bore therethrough to receive said messenger cable for supporting the spreader, lateral arms on both ends of said body projecting outwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof, outward facing grooves in the outer ends of said arms parallel with said bore for holding a pair of said continuous conductors in spaced relation of said body in the interval between said arms for connection of said branch wires, said body being split longitudinally in a plane through said bore and said arms to divide said body into two identical mating body halves, and means for securing said body halves together in mating relation about said messenger cable.

3. A mid-span terminal spreader for use in connecting branch wires extending transversely in opposite directions from a plurality of continuous power supply conductors suspended on poles in a compact group with a continuous supporting messenger cable, comprising an elongated insulator body having a longitudinal channel therethrough, said body being constructed and arranged to open one side of said channel to receive said continuous messenger cable for supporting the spreader, means for confining said cable in said channel, a pair of lateral arms on each end of said body projecting outwardly therefrom in opposite directions on opposite sides thereof, outward facing grooves in the outer ends of said arms parallel with said channel arranged to hold a pair of said continuous conductors apart in spaced parallel relation with said body on opposite sides thereof in the interval between said arms, said arms being spaced apart in a direction longitudinally of the body a sufficient distance to accommodate connections of said branch wires with said conductors in said interval.

References uteri in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 

